We are often given the advice that drinking plenty of water is the key to good skin – along with a good beauty regime, of course. But is it really true? And if so, what is it about water that keeps our skin looking and feeling younger? Just how much water do we really need to drink?

But we are always told to drink water for good skin

The interesting thing is that despite the claims that water improves your skin and that we should drink at least 2 litres a day, the evidence to back it up seems to be few and far between. It is thought that few studies have been done, because it simply isn’t profitable to sell the idea that something that comes from a tap and is free is good for us.

A dermatologist from the Kaplan Medical Centre in Israel has looked into the studies that do exist and found that there was little difference in skin texture after four weeks of drinking extra water. However there is another study that suggests that drinking around 500ml of water in a 15 minute period may increase blood flow to the skin capillaries, but this effect lasts for only 30 minutes.

Another theory is that drinking plenty of water will ensure that your body has the right percentage that it needs to function correctly. This includes providing moisture to the skin and plumping it. Plus most of us will be aware that dehydration can have devastating effects on our skin, leaving it peeling and dry.

The author Katie Rodan who wrote “Write your skin a prescription for change” has said that water doesn’t go straight to your skin, in fact it goes to many parts of the body before it hits skin cells, including the kidneys and into the bloodstream.

The bottom water line

So the answer seems to be that we should drink enough to prevent dehydration – but that a specific set number of glasses is not necessarily required to make your skin look any better. Besides drinking too much water can also be harmful to your electrolyte balance.

We recommend that you use a good moisturiser to lock in the moisture on your skin that comes from the natural oils we all have. This will prevent dehydration of your skin and keep those lines and wrinkles at bay. Oh, and have a few glasses of water during the day as you feel the need. Let your body tell you when to drink and